Will there be a Desi flavor on Apple board?

Published: Thursday, August 13, 2009, 12:00 [IST]

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New York, Aug 13: With the Google's Chief Executive Officer, Eric Schimdt logging off from Apple's board, Indian businessmen like former Infoscian Nanadan Niekani and Reliance Industries' Chairman Mukesh Ambani are being considered for the post in the board.

US Business Magazine, BusinessWeek suggested the names of the Indian biz bigwigs with the rationale of having someone who understood the Indian markets from the inside.

"An executive who understands the Indian market could be a guiding hand in Apple's board room. How about former Infosys (Co-Chairman) Nandan Nilekani (now serving the government with minister rank)? or Mukesh Ambani, head of Reliance Industries, whose retail subsidiary sells Apple gear in India?," the publication said in an article titled 'An Apple Board of Directors for the 2010s'.

Based on the fact that the Indian market can not be ignored when it comes to IT and technology, the report noted that the challenges that Apple faces right now would be in terms of expansion overseas.

The report that consists of the opinions of academics, board recruiters and various industry sources states, "With Apple in its fourth decade and heading toward USD 50 billion in sales sometimes in the 2010s, the company will need further governance changes in the years ahead."

Although the report predicts that the 'next likely director' would be Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook, it put forth other names like of IBM CEO Lou Gerstner and former Genentech CEO Arthur Levinson, apart from Nilekani and Ambani.